In many applications, components and systems, magnetic fields are used for different purposes. For instance, magnetic fields can be used to store information, to transmit information, to manipulate components, to detect a position or an orientation of an object and other purposes to name just a few. To detect the magnetic field appropriate magnetic sensor structures may be used. Among those magnetic sensor structures Hall sensor structures represent a sensor structure, which may offer the possibility of an easy implementation into an integrated circuit since the fabrication processes to produce a Hall sensor structure may be similar and are often compatible with fabrication processes used to fabricate an integrated structure integrated into a die or substrate.
Hall sensor structures employ the Hall effect, which is based on the fact that due to the Lorentz force, moving charge carriers experience a force, when they move in a magnetic field. The force is directed perpendicular to the direction of motion of the charge carriers. This force may give rise to an electric field which may then be detected, for instance, in the form of a voltage. Lateral Hall sensor structures are typically implemented in a die or substrate and are responsive to magnetic field components perpendicular to a main surface of the die or substrate. Vertical Hall sensor structures may be sensitive to a magnetic field component parallel to the main surface of a corresponding die or substrate.
Unfortunately, in many cases vertical Hall sensor structures are comparably asymmetric with respect to their transport properties and, hence, with respect to their sensing or detecting quality. They may, for instance, show variations of the internal resistances, which in turn may be caused by a geometry, fabricational parameters and other reasons, to name just some possible effects and reasons.